


Of Impossible Things

by goingtothetardis



Series: The Gallifrey Room [4]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bad Wolf, Bad Wolf centered reunion, Doomsday fixit (sorta), F/M, Just pretend the dimension cannon business never happened, Meddling TARDIS, Post-Episode AU: s04e03 Planet of the Ood, Reunion, Romance, Telepathy, The Gallifrey Room, telepathic bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-07-27
Packaged: 2018-11-30 01:19:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11453010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goingtothetardis/pseuds/goingtothetardis
Summary: When Bad Wolf shows up unexpectedly in the parallel universe, will Rose follow her lead back home?





	1. BAD WOL–

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SelenaTerna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SelenaTerna/gifts).



> This fic was written in honor of SelenaTerna‘s birthday!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY to one of the best human beings I know!! (I’m posting it in the evening my time so she gets it the morning of her birthday.) 
> 
> The continuation of this verse was not originally planned like this, but this idea has been slowly evolving in my mind and finally took root. Right when we first became friends, Michaela told me she loved this one TPP drabble I wrote in which Rose walked through a golden door back to her universe. I always wanted to expand that idea, and this is how it happened. Timeline wise, it takes place after Planet of the Ood, and just assume that the events of S4 regarding the missing planets and Rose dimension hopping do not happen. (Oh darn. But Rose is still a bamf, so have no worries. I was a little bit inspired by Bubblygal92‘s fic, Desperado. It’s one of my favorite reunion stories ever.)
> 
> Endless thanks to Jeeno2 and Tenscupcake for their help with beta work. This story was made so much better by both of you. And I’d also like to thank Rose--nebula for making this amaaaaaaaazing fic banner. I asked her totally last minute, and she went above and beyond with what she created.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bad Wolf reappears in the most unexpected way.

Rose Tyler stands in the tiny office she shares with Mickey, arms crossed over her chest as she studies the six mission reports tacked to the board hanging on the wall in front of her. She sighs and steps back to lean against her desk, her thoughts still focused on the reports.

Six missions. Six separate and completely unrelated missions in locations all over the world.

She hadn’t even been the one to notice the pattern.

Exactly one week ago, Mickey had been filling out the paperwork after a mission, the latest in a series of missions sending them to seemingly random locations around the world. They’d been working quietly when Mickey’s voice cut through the silence.

“Rose. Look at this.” His voice had taken on a curious twinge of excitement and disbelief. He had laid out all six mission reports in front of him, and pointed at them when she turned around. “Look. Barcelona. Akureyri. Digby. Wolfsburg. Osijek. Luxor. In order.”

On a piece of scratch paper, he’d written the letters: BAD WOL–

Rose still remembers how her heart had jumped into her throat when she saw those two words – well, almost two words – in front of her. For a moment, there had been sheer panic, but since then, she’s begun to feel a tingle of excitement under her skin. There’s a whisper of hope, of impossible things, that she can’t get out of her head.

She’d once been the Bad Wolf, joined with the TARDIS to return to the Doctor, and… altered her life span to match his. Rose knows that wasn’t all she had done as the Bad Wolf, but the changes made to her biology had been perhaps the most bitter of those memories. The Doctor had only just begun to accept and embrace the gifts Bad Wolf had given him – a forever with her _and_ the ability to connect with her telepathically – when she’d fallen from their universe into another.

Now, Bad Wolf appears to be manifesting again, and Rose wonders what their next Torchwood mission will bring. She tries to dampen her excitement, given that the last time she’d encountered Bad Wolf, it had only brought her to a mere image of the Doctor, which had been simultaneously comforting and excruciating. Rose isn’t sure if she will be able to endure such a heartbreaking disappointment again, but in the end, she knows it doesn’t really matter. She’ll _always_ follow any possible path to get back to the Doctor, even if he’s only able to project another image of himself between the walls of the universes.

But this? This feels different. The moment Mickey had revealed the pattern in their most recent missions, she’d just _known_ somehow, deep in her bones, that this was Bad Wolf leading her home.

Rose and Mickey have studied the previous missions to the point of distraction, trying to find anything to connect them together or to find patterns that might give them a clue as to what will come next. But Bad Wolf remains elusive, offering nothing to suggest what these missions mean or where they may be leading Rose.

In the meantime, Rose has made the appropriate preparations in the event that she unexpectedly leaves this universe. She’s written letters for her family and friends as well as mad the appropriate arrangements for her mum to take care of her flat and other possessions. As much as it pains her to leave the life she’s built for herself in this universe, she knows her place in the multiverse isn’t here. It’s at the Doctor’s side, wherever that may be. She’s thrilled beyond belief that her mum has found a second chance at a happy life with this universe’s Pete Tyler, but Rose’s heart breaks knowing that if she _can_ return to her own universe, she likely won’t be a part of that life.

Rose is at least comforted by the the fact that her mum has come to terms with her daughter spending the rest of her forever with the Doctor. They’d fought frequently about Rose’s determined desire to return to her original universe, as Jackie had still never quite forgiven the Doctor for the year she’d thought Rose dead, and she felt Rose had everything she could ever need in this new universe. But it wasn’t until Rose revealed the truth about her extended life span that she finally came to terms with Rose’s plan.

_“Your place in the universe is wherever that barmy alien is, Rose, and even though it breaks my heart that I might never see you again and that it’s my instinct as your mum to never let you go, I know you need to be with the person you changed your life span to match. Ever since that man came into your life, you’ve been… the best version of you I ever seen. I’m proud of the woman you’ve become, Rose, and I’m sorry if I ever doubted that.”_

Rose is pulled from her thoughts as Mickey strolls into their office, munching on a sandwich.

“Still looking at those reports?” he asks.

“‘Course I am, Micks.” Rose’s brow furrows in frustration. “I just wish I knew what it all means. It’s impossible to even try to guess where the next mission will be.”

“So don’t. You’ve done what you can, now just let Bad Wolf do her thing.” Mickey swallows his food and grins at Rose. “You know the first time around, you had no idea what Bad Wolf meant. Bad Wolf is enigmatic even when you know what’s going on. Best to just let everything work out the way it’s supposed to.”

Rose sighs, and walks around her desk to slump in her desk chair. “I know. ‘S just…”

“You want to get back to the Doctor, I know. It’s been five years – five long years – so trust me, _I know_. The dimension cannon failed, and the only way you survived that is because of whatever you did to yourself as Bad Wolf. Why would you do that if there’s no chance of you reuniting with the Doctor?” Mickey leans forward on his desk, eyes earnest and intent. “It seems cruel to give yourself that fate. So I know you’ll find a way back. Or he’ll find a way here.”

Rose sniffs and looks up at the ceiling, trying to keep her emotions in check. Finally, she levels Mickey with a fond gaze and smiles. “Thanks, Mickey. You’ve been there with me through some of the worst days of my life, and I’m glad.”

Mickey leans back in his chair. “You’ve always been my best friend, Rose. No matter what, I’ll do what I can to help get you home.”

* * *

Rose fumbles in the dark for her ringing mobile and somehow manages to answer. “Yeah?” Anyone calling her at this hour can forgive the less-than-eloquent greeting.

“Rose,” Mickey says, a tremor of excitement in his voice.

“What? Micks, why are you–”

Mickey cuts her off. “Rose, we just got notified about a ‘mysterious temporal anomaly’ in _Fyresdal_ , Norway. _Fyresdal_ ,” he says again with heavy emphasis on the “F.”

Rose abruptly sits up in bed, instantly wide awake, and clutches her phone to her ear. It’s been over a month since their last overseas mission in Luxor and three weeks since Mickey had discovered the Bad Wolf pattern.

“This is it, Mickey,” Rose says with certainty. “Call mum. I’ll be there soon. Send me the mission brief?” Rose ends the call and jumps out of bed, running to the loo to take care of business. Stepping out of the bathroom, she heads to her closet and pulls out a red backpack. For just a moment Rose holds it in her hand, remembering the first time she ran to the TARDIS with a similar red backpack, committing to her new adventure with the Doctor. Now it’s filled with important memories of her time here in this universe that, if possible, she’d like to take back to the original universe.

Heart racing, Rose tosses the backpack on her bed before changing into her Torchwood combat uniform, a requirement for every field mission, regardless of location or situation. It’s sleek and black, made from special materials developed by Torchwood to offer increased protection in case of gunfire (or worse), and designed for easy mobility in a variety of conditions.

Her mobile beeps, and after Rose hefts the backpack onto her back and gives her flat one last glance, she reads the brief as she takes the lift to the ground level. Within ten minutes, she’s at Torchwood and on another lift to the mission prep facilities.

* * *

Four hours later, Rose sits quietly next to Mickey on a small Torchwood aircraft headed toward Norway, stomach churning with nerves and mind abuzz with emotions. Rose had been able to see her mum again before her crew left, and she’d finally confessed her and Mickey’s theory about the Bad Wolf missions and warned what this particular mission may bring. Despite the fact that Rose may very well return to London, she and Jackie had shared a tearful and bittersweet goodbye – just in case. Rose would rather share several unnecessary goodbyes with her mum than miss the chance entirely.

Rose had selected a small crew for the mission: four agents including herself, the standard for anomalies such as the one they’re investigating in Norway. Having told very few people within or outside of Torchwood about her _true_ identity and origin from a parallel universe, including her altered lifespan, it had been natural to choose the few, outside of Jackie and Pete, who _did_ know to accompany her on this mission. Mickey, who’d been with her from the beginning; Jake, who knew her from her previous visit with the Doctor; and her friend Martha, a Torchwood doctor Rose had met shortly after arriving in this universe. She trusts all of them with her life, and given the potentially cataclysmic nature of the mission, there’s no one else she’d rather have with her.

Much to her delight, Rose thinks there might be something between Mickey and Martha, a spark of romance she knows both would like very much. If she does find a way to leave this universe, Rose is comforted by the fact that her friends will, at the very least, be able to find happiness in each other.

“Landing in 10,” Jake’s voice buzzes over the comms, interrupting her thoughts, and once again, Rose is eternally grateful for the technology that enables them to bypass the slow and bulky travel by zeppelins required of everyone else. They’re flying to Norway on a small aircraft adapted from alien technology, completing a trip that normally takes half a day in just a few hours. It’s one of several perks of being an elite Torchwood operative that Rose has rightfully earned.

Despite her accomplishments, however, her heart still yearns for not only the Doctor, but her life on the TARDIS with him – traveling through the universe with his hand in hers, toppling evil regimes, experiencing exceptional and outrageous things that she could never begin to imagine on her own... and more importantly, of course, the intimate physical and mental relationship they’d only so briefly shared. After a while, she’d packed such memories tightly away in the back of her mind so the sheer grief of what she’d lost didn’t distract her from her mission to find a way back to him.

Rose’s eyes flicker open when the aircraft touches down on the ground, and as soon as it’s safe to disembark, she, Mickey, and Martha gather their gear and get off the craft. They’ve landed in the middle of a clearing, close to the mysterious signals picked up by Torchwood. Rose is thankful for the stealth offered by the craft, cloaking mechanisms and the ability to land much like a helicopter, though she thinks they’re in a remote enough place that they won’t need to hide.

“So,” Mickey says, breaking the silence as they look around, nodding at Jake as he joins them. “We’ve gotten signals similar to those in areas where there’s rift activity, like in Cardiff, but according to our records, there haven’t been any previous records of rift activity in this area. The problem is, the signals we’ve gotten from this don’t read _quite_ like any other rift we’ve monitored in the past.” There’s a brief silence before Mickey speaks again. “Rose, there’s something I didn’t tell you about the mission. I didn’t include it in the mission brief, because, well– No one else knows about your, uh, changed biology.”

Rose’s blood runs cold. “What is it, Mickey?”

Mickey looks up at the sky, purses his lips, and steps closer to Rose. Jake and Martha follow his movements until all four stand in a tight circle. “Rose, you’ve shown me your medical reports, yeah? You’ve been monitoring your DNA ever since you came to this universe.”

Rose nods. “Mickey, just get it out.”

“The energy readings from the rift match some of the foreign elements in your DNA. Martha and I compared the two results in the lab before we left, and we’re positive they’re the same. It’s Bad Wolf, Rose. It has to be. Whatever changed you when you opened the TARDIS and went back to the Doctor, it’s in this rift.”

Mickey’s words repeat in her mind until her heart feels as if it’s going to beat out of her chest. Everything Mickey says feels almost like déjà vu, like the faintest glimmer of a dream she had long ago but can’t quite grasp the details. Once he says the words, however, she knows what he says is true.

“Right…” she says, unable to keep a smile off her face. “Let’s find it, then.”

They get to work quickly, setting up equipment and scanners needed to pinpoint the source of the energy. It doesn’t take long until the equipment picks up a temporal signal, rife with readings of an energy unfamiliar to this universe, the very same found in Rose. They’re able to hone the signal with a smaller device, and set off in search of the source. Without hesitation, Rose throws her backpack on her back and follows Mickey and Jake into the woods.

* * *

An hour later, Rose and her team arrive at the edge of a small river and follow the signal along the bank until they come to the entrance of a cave. It’s quiet and remote, with only the sounds of the river and wild critters to fill the silence. The river flows out of the cavernous entrance, but there’s a small ledge to once side that might allow for someone to walk inside.

After setting their gear on the ground, Mickey leans over the tracking device and makes some adjustments. “It’ll pinpoint the signal with more accuracy, now,” Mickey explains, as he joins Rose and Martha who’d walked closer to the cave.

“Well, let’s get going.” Martha takes a few steps forward, but as soon as she crosses under the entrance archway, she’s thrown backward by a powerful force.

“Martha!” Mickey shoves the tracking device at Jake and runs to Martha, kneeling at her side. She lies sprawled on the ground, but after a moment, pushes herself up with a bewildered laugh.

“I’m fine,” she says breathlessly. “Really, I’m fine. But... what just happened? What is _that_?” Everyone follows her finger as she points back to the cave entrance.

What was once a normal looking opening is now covered by a shimmering, golden door. It stands suspended in the air, hovering a short distance above the ground. An ornate border frames the door, which itself is covered in circular designs.

Rose takes a step closer to study the familiar designs and gasps. “I know this door,” she says breathlessly, and her heart slams against her ribcage in disbelief and excitement.

“You… what?” Mickey looks at Rose in confusion.

“This door. I know it.” She turns around and faces her friends. “There’s this room the TARDIS built for the Doctor, yeah? Looks like his home planet. Gallifrey. It’s… special.” Rose can’t help but blush as she thinks of _all_ the wonderful moments she’d spent in that room with the Doctor.

Mickey smirks. “Oh? Just how… _special_?”

Martha sighs in exasperation and punches Mickey lightly on the arm.

Ignoring Mickey, Rose continues. “I never thought I’d see it again, but on the TARDIS, this door opens to the Gallifrey room. I wonder…” She turns back to the door and stares intently at it before carefully raising her arm and tracing one of the circular patterns. At her touch, they blaze a deep gold, almost like fire, and a series of words form within the circles.

_Bad Wolf._

Again, after all this time, Rose can’t help but be awed by the sheer power of Bad Wolf across time and space… and dimensions. It’s always a bit unnerving, knowing she once held such power in her hands.

“But it can’t be _that_ easy to get back,” she murmurs to no one in particular.

“Why not?” Martha shrugs when Rose turns to her. “It didn’t like me trying to get through, and when you touched the symbols, it lit up, almost like it’s welcoming you. I have a feeling no one else in this universe would be able to walk through it.”

Rose turns to Mickey and Jake who both shrug in agreement with Martha. “Makes sense to me,” Jake says. “Maybe it’ll take you to the same room.”

Turning back to the door, Rose takes a deep breath, struggling to keep her emotions in check. There’s disbelief that returning might be so simple but also an unexpected fear and sense of loss. Her family is here in this universe, her mum, Tony, and Pete, Mickey and Martha, Jake and the rest of her friends from Torchwood. The life she’s built for herself here has been unexpectedly good. Challenging but fulfilling. And now that she’s presented with a clear opportunity to walk back into her old life, it’s more difficult than she thought it’d be.

“Rose?” Mickey walks up and wraps his arm around her, pulling her close to his side. “You gotta go, yeah? He’s out there, trying to find you. And you two together… You’ll be brilliant. I’m not sure about a lot of things, but I do know that. You two are meant to be together.”

“Oh, Micks.” Rose turns to Mickey with tears in her eyes, and hugs him tightly. “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, and even when I didn’t deserve it, you’ve stood by me. Thank you. Just… be magnificent, yeah? And take care of Martha.” She nods over his shoulder to Martha standing behind him, before standing on her toes and kissing Mickey on the cheek.

Rose hugs Jake, sharing a few words of farewell before moving to Martha. “Thank you for everything, Martha. I wouldn’t have made it without you.” When she leans in to hug her friend, Rose whispers, “Ask Mickey out, yeah? He likes you, but he’s too daft to figure it out.”

Martha murmurs an acknowledgement of Rose’s request and steps back from Rose, grabbing Mickey’s hand with a small smile. Rose grins at the surprised but pleased expression on Mickey’s face before she leans down and hoists her backpack onto her back.

“Well…” Rose looks between her friends and breathes in a ragged breath as tears stream down her cheeks. “Tell mum I love her. Tony and Pete, too. And… thank you. I’ll miss you all so much, if this actually takes me home.”

“Get on, then,” Martha says with a teary smile.

With one last look at her friends, Rose nods decisively and turns to the door, stepping through the golden light without another thought.


	2. Because of Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The TARDIS leads Donna to the Gallifrey room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter two!! I was able to get it cleaned up last night and ready to post after work today. :) I hope you enjoy this particular chapter. 
> 
> We'll get back to Rose in a bit. ;)
> 
> Continued thanks to Jeeno2 and Tenscupcake for their super awesome beta assistance. They've definitely helped make this so much better. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Blearily opening her eyes and groaning while cautiously stretching her limbs, Donna wonders if she’s been run over by a lorry. A big one. The day’s previous adventure to the Ood Sphere had been both emotionally and physically draining, leaving her confused, unsettled, and more than a little sore. Deciding a nice cuppa is in order before she even thinks about processing her emotions, Donna stumbles out of bed and shuffles into the loo to get ready. 

The Doctor, or maybe the TARDIS (most likely the latter) had provided her with top-notch accommodations. A huge room with a vaulted ceiling; a canopy bed in a rich, dark wood; a matching bedroom set; a walk-in closet bigger than her mum’s room with a wall of empty hat hangers just waiting to be filled; and best of all, an ensuite with an extravagant bathtub, shower, and sink. It’s all rather posh and luxurious, and Donna finds herself quite at home on the Doctor’s bigger-on-the-inside ship. 

An hour later, Donna leaves her room, slightly more refreshed after a shower, and sets off in search of the galley. For the few weeks she’s been traveling with the Doctor, this barmy ship has always led her where she needs to go, so she trusts she’ll find a source of tea and maybe some toast soon enough. A familiar door appears at the end of the corridor, and Donna walks inside, half expecting to find the Doctor bouncing off the walls, rambling on about one too many things and driving her bonkers before she’s even had a drop of caffeine. 

But strangely, the room is quiet and empty. She frowns, curious about the Doctor’s absence, but then shrugs and sets off to set the kettle and find some bread and jam, if there’s any left. Donna rolls her eyes, remembering her first morning on the TARDIS. 

The Doctor had been sitting at the table surrounded by at least twelve different jars of jam. When she’d tried to dip her knife into the jar closest to her, the Doctor had made an odd squeaking noise, his eyes widening in panic as he shoved an entire piece of toast in his mouth. 

“What, not allowed to eat the food on here?” she’d asked, her early morning snark getting the best of her. 

“‘S not that,” the Doctor had said, mouth full of food, while gesturing toward the jars of jam. “I don’t always use a knife. Rose…” He’d trailed off then, the lightness in his eyes dimming slightly. “Rose had the TARDIS give me my own jam cupboard. Your jam is in that one.” With a sticky finger, he’d pointed to a cupboard next to the refrigerator. 

Donna had made a face at the Doctor, before muttering, “Bless her, that Rose of yours.”

Now, tea and food prepared, Donna sits down to eat a light breakfast. The previous day had been… unexpected. Terrifying. Brilliant. Horrifying. This life, traveling with the Doctor, is not for the faint of heart. The universe isn’t black and white, and there’s not always a right answer, no simple right or wrong. She knows what they’d experienced in Pompeii had not been the first time the Doctor had faced such a decision, and it makes her head spin. To so frequently face such decisions in order to hold the universe together, to maintain time and the natural flow of events – it’s little wonder he’d resisted her pleas to save anyone from the city. He needs someone – she’d known this almost from the moment she’d met him – and it doesn’t matter if it’s Rose or Martha or herself. He needs someone to remind him how to embrace humanity, how to make the right decision, and that there’s always a chance to find a different way. She’s relieved he’d finally admitted it. 

Donna finishes her tea and takes her dishes to the sink, leaving them there for later. She’s hoping to talk the Doctor into a less traumatic adventure today, and she’d like to ask him about the planet of the hats. She _does_ have an empty wall in her closet to fill. 

Once in the corridor, Donna walks swiftly toward what she thinks is the console room. However, it’s quickly apparent the TARDIS has other ideas, sending her on a meandering jaunt through the corridors. Every now and then, she peeks through a door. She passes a lap swimming pool and another pool with a waterslide and a waterfall; something that looks suspiciously like an archery range surrounded by fruit trees of some kind waits behind another door, and several corridors over she finds another galley, this one decorated in a rather alarming shade of bubblegum pink; three doors down, there’s a room filled to the brim with various electronic parts, and next door to the library she finds a reading nook with a plushy chair she’d like to visit at a later time. 

Finally, she stops in front of an inconspicuous wooden door covered in circular patterns. After studying it a moment, she realizes she’s seen similar patterns scattered in various locations around the ship. It must be a language of some sort. Perhaps the Doctor’s? 

Donna moves to continue onward, but a few steps later, the corridor ends, leaving only the door covered in circular patterns within her line of sight. 

“So you want me here, then?” she asks out loud, still a bit unsure about how to communicate with a sentient ship. The lights in the corridor flash in answer, so after a moment of hesitation, Donna opens the door and steps inside. 

After her initial shock at feeling as though she’s stepped from the TARDIS onto a new planet, Donna takes a few cautious steps forward and looks out over a red-tinged landscape. Her jaw drops as she surveys the scene – the fields of red grass, the river winding through the valley, the mountains and trees. It’s ethereal and a bit surreal, and she pinches herself to make sure she hasn’t fallen into some drugged state of sleep. 

Hesitating on the ledge, Donna wonders if she should even be here. There’s something about it that feels too private, somehow, like she’s invading a deeply personal space of the Doctor’s without his permission. But as she turns around to leave, the door is gone, and a blank space of rocky wall exists in its place. 

“Well, that answers that question,” she mutters to herself, before turning around and walking down the trail that she hopes will take her to the valley below.

* * *

The Doctor knows the moment Donna enters the room when the TARDIS’s presence in his mind changes slightly, as though she’s nervous about something. A brief flash of annoyance sparks through him, but it passes as quickly as it appeared as he realizes that he’s not at all opposed to sharing this space with Donna. 

His current comfort with Donna discovering this room is very different from that of the Doctor who’d thrown heavy rocks into the river in grief and rage years earlier. Then, the loss of Rose had been sharp and acute, and his friendship with Martha had been often overshadowed by the not-so-subtle ghosts of his former companion. Not Martha’s fault, of course, but he’d done nothing to ease the tension. It’s quite unlike his relationship with Donna, whose friendship feels comfortable, familiar, and easy even after such a short time. In a way, Donna reminds him of Rose, but not in a way that makes him ache with grief. Rather, Donna’s presence fills him with hope and lightness, the likes of which he hasn’t experienced in a long time. 

With a sigh, the Doctor shifts on the log he’s sitting on near the river. He juggles a small handful of pebbles in his hand, flicking them randomly into the water, strangely satisfied with the way they plop into the river. 

“What _is_ this place?” Donna’s voice asks behind him. 

“Ah, Donna, was wondering when you’d show up,” the Doctor answers, not moving from his seat as he flicks the last few pebbles. 

“Yeah, your ship showed me all right. Basically trapped me in a corridor until I opened that door.” Donna’s footsteps crunch over the dirt as she walks to his log. “You never answered my question.”

The Doctor sits quietly for a moment before tossing the last pebble, and turns around to face Donna. “Gallifrey,” he says softly.

“Gallifrey,” Donna repeats, somewhat confused. “But I thought you said…” 

The Doctor pats on a spot next to him on the log, inviting Donna to take a seat. Once she settles down next to him, facing away from the river and toward the mountains, he answers. “It’s not _really_ Gallifrey, just a copy. We’re still on the TARDIS.”

“Oh. But… well, _how_?” Donna looks properly flummoxed. 

“The TARDIS recreated it for me best as she could with some biological material from the original planet. Seeds, water and soil samples, extensive mapping of the terrain.”

Donna barks out a laugh. “Your ship remade your planet inside herself? Blimey. My car barely gets me back to Chiswick without giving me fits.”

“Well,” the Doctor says, preening slightly on behalf of his magnificent ship at her words, “like I said, it’s not _really_ Gallifrey.”

“But it looks so _real_ ,” Donna protests. 

“She did the best she could, but there’s so much the TARDIS couldn’t recreate. Gallifrey always resonated a telepathic field, and that’s gone. So is all other life, like animals and… and people,” he trails off, voice soft in memory.

Donna nods, somber. “Right.” They sit quietly together for several minutes, content to simply be together. “Do you miss it? Them? Your people?”

A huff of disbelief escapes the laughter. “Of course I do, Donna. I didn’t like most of them, but they were still my people, and Gallifrey was still my home, even though I ran away from it more often than toward it.” He stops as he considers how to continue, how to express his real feelings about this room. “But this room means more to me now, more than Gallifrey ever did.”

Donna’s brow furrows, and she turns to him, confused. “Oh? Why’s that?”

Taking a deep breath, the Doctor takes a chance with Donna, allows himself to share a part of his hearts. “Because of Rose.”

“Ah, Rose,” Donna says, reaching out to pat his knee. If anyone else had done that, he’d scoff at their pity, but with Donna, he knows it’s not that. “So what did Rose do that makes this room so important to you?”

“When I met Rose, I was another man. Literally another man.” At Donna’s confused expression, he continues. “Time Lords… We can change. In death, when we’re mortally wounded, we can change into another person through a process called regeneration. A new man walks away. I’m the same person at the core, same thoughts and memories, but many things are different: personality quirks, clothing preferences, taste buds...”

“You are kidding me.” Donna gasps in astonishment, shaking her head. “Sometimes I forget you’re alien. An honest to God alien.” 

Smirking, the Doctor continues. “When Rose met me, I was a bit rough around the edges, sounded like I was from the North. I liked _leather_.” He makes a face, his distaste in his former clothing preferences quite obvious. 

“Oooh,” Donna says, her eyes brightening in interest.

“No.” The Doctor makes a face. “Just… no.” He grimaces further as Donna eyes him up and down in speculation. “ _Annnnnyway_ ,” he continues, eager to distract Donna from whatever lurid thoughts she’s having, “Rose met a different me, a me freshly regenerated after the Time War. I was a grumpy old sod, full of rage and grieving, but Rose… Rose was kind and compassionate, gave me a hand to hold when I’d just lost everything.”

To his dismay, Donna’s eyes mist up at his words. “Rose sounds lovely,” she says softly.

“Yeah. Yeah, she is. Rose actually found this room before me. The TARDIS led her to it, and when I found her here, right over there,” he points to the spot, “I was so angry. I hurt her with unnecessary words, but the TARDIS stopped me before I did anything else.” 

Donna’s eyes narrow at his confession. “This story better have you apologizing to Rose, or I’ll let you have it.”

The Doctor holds his hand up and rolls his eyes. “Of course I did. I was more volatile, then; my emotions were all over the place after the Time War. But Rose accepted my apology, and I told her about Gallifrey and the War, and eventually this place became special to us. We spent a lot of time here after adventures, and on the days we didn’t bother to leave the TARDIS.” At this last revelation, he blushes, and Donna makes a face and holds up a hand. 

“You can keep those details to yourself, Spaceman,” Donna says. “I don’t need to know about the sex habits of a Time Lord.”

“Donna,” he moans in exasperation and runs a hand down his face. 

Donna smirks but mercifully drops the subject. “So when did you become… this you?” 

Sighing loudly, the Doctor can’t help the memory of Rose stepping out of the TARDIS doors as the Bad Wolf. “There was a… battle… with an enemy I’d thought dead. I had to send Rose away in the TARDIS to save her life, and–”

“–and let me guess. You didn’t expect to live,” Donna interrupts. 

“Right.” He pulls on an earlobe, unnerved by Donna’s perception of his actions. “I did not expect to live. So I sent Rose away to keep her safe–” He sighs when Donna interrupts once more.

“Did she _want_ you to send her away?” Donna glares at him.

“Well, no, she didn’t exactly know what I was doing. But it was the only way to keep her alive.”

“Maybe you should have given her a choice in the matter.”

“Donna,” he groans, uncomfortably aware of just how relevant Donna’s words are, not just in regards to the battle on the game station. “Do you want the story or not?”

Donna claps her mouth closed and motions for him to continue.

“As I was saying, I sent Rose away. But she’s stubborn and didn’t like that, so she found a way to open the heart of the TARDIS and fly the ship back to me.” He takes Donna’s shocked expression as an invitation to continue. “But something happened when she opened the heart of the TARDIS,” he explains. “The TARDIS and Rose bonded, and with the power of the Vortex and Time, became an entity called the Bad Wolf. Rose – well, Bad Wolf – destroyed the Daleks trying to destroy us and saved the universe. The power inside her was going to kill her if I didn’t take it out, so I removed it, but that triggered a regeneration.” He doesn’t add that this incarnation was literally born out of love for Rose.

“Oh my God.” Donna covers her mouth with a hand and stares at the Doctor. “But Rose lived? Nothing happened?”

“ _Wellllll_ , yes. She lived. _Lives_ ,” he adds with emphasis, as if to remind himself of that fact, and Donna’s eyes soften at his words. “But it wasn’t until much later that we discovered that as Bad Wolf, Rose had made changes to herself.”

“What kind of changes?” Donna asks curiously. 

“With all that power in her body, she was able to see all of time and space, all that was, is, and could be. What I always see. And she changed her biology to match her lifespan to mine and changed her mind to allow her to communicate telepathically with me, to bond with me, and–” He breaks off then, suddenly overwhelmed by the bitter irony of the situation. After a few moments, he takes a ragged breath and continues. “And yet, the universe is never kind. It still took her away.” Realizing he’d never really told Donna about Rose, he explains what happened. “Canary Wharf. It happened then. She’s in another universe, Donna. She lives on forever in another universe, but the walls are closed. There’s no way back.”

Donna stares at him in horrified silence. 

“When you…” He clears his throat. “When you appeared on the TARDIS in your wedding dress, I’d only just said goodbye.” Tears prick at his eyes, and the Doctor squeezes them shut and pushes the palms of his hands against his eyelids. The next words slip out before he can stop them. “I ran out of time to tell her how much I love her…”

“Oh, God. Doctor.” All of Donna’s sharp edges are gone, and she places her hand over his on the log. “I’m so sorry.”

He doesn’t answer, not trusting his voice, and sits quietly, lost in his thoughts. 

After several minutes, Donna breaks the silence. “There’s one thing I don’t understand.”

“Hmmmm?”

“I thought you said this Bad Wolf changed Rose. Gave her telepathy and changed her biology so she wouldn’t age. If Rose was this entity and changed these things herself – if she had all this power to do that, why wouldn’t she change things so you never get separated?” she asks.

The Doctor’s fists clench and he doesn’t bother trying to explain the rules of Time to his companion. It doesn’t change the fact that Rose is still _lost._ “I ask myself that every day, Donna.”

They fall into an uneasy silence for a few seconds until Donna stiffens beside him, straightening up in her seat. Curious, the Doctor turns to Donna and finds her smiling at him with an excited gleam in her eye. “Well, maybe you should ask her yourself.” Her gaze shifts suddenly to something in the distance, and she nods.

The Doctor looks sharply Donna before twisting his body to follow where her gaze focuses on a spot between the trees.

And there – _impossibly there_ – stands Rose.


	3. Get On Your Feet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She knows exactly where she is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnnnd chapter three is here!!! :D I'm pretty positive you guys will love this chapter. At least I hope so. 
> 
> Continued thanks to Jeeno2 and Tenscupcake for their superb beta help! I'm looking at Friday for the next update, but the next two chapters need a good deal of work, and I don't want to rush the process. 
> 
> Thanks so much for all the wonderful reviews and comments so far!

Once the blinding light has faded, Rose opens her eyes and gasps. She knows exactly where she is. 

Out of all the ways she’d imagined getting back to the Doctor, a golden door leading her to the Gallifrey room inside the TARDIS had not ever crossed her mind. 

The TARDIS. _She’s back on the TARDIS._ The ship welcomes Rose back, joyful and exuberant, and Rose falls to her knees, overcome with emotions. Shrugging her backpack off her shoulders and letting it fall haphazardly to the ground beside her, Rose loses herself in the welcoming song of the TARDIS, allowing the ship to soothe her doubts about whether or not she’s actually back. 

Home. _She’s home._

After five long and painful years, Rose Tyler is finally home.

Before moving onward, Rose takes one last look over her shoulder at the door that had led her home, one last look at the life she’d just left. To her surprise, there’s nothing there, the door vanishing without a trace after accomplishing its mission. A tiny surge of disappointment twinges deep in her heart as she realizes she had hoped the door might linger as a way to pass between universes. However, as she shuts her eyes and wills away a wave of emotions, she knows the sacrifice will be worth it in the end. With her extended life span, there’s no place left for her in the other universe, especially after her family is gone, and soon – so soon – she’ll be reunited with her Doctor.

_The Doctor._ At the thought of him, Rose hops to her feet and pulls her backpack back on. Studying her surroundings, Rose spots a familiar copse of trees in the distance. The river flows gently beside her, sparkling under the afternoon light of the suns, and Rose sets off along the path at the river’s edge. 

Finally, she nears the trees that surround the little clearing she and the Doctor used to frequent. Briefly, she wonders if he’s visited this room since she was lost to Pete’s universe, but her question is answered when she hears him speaking through the trees. Her heart jumps into her throat, but as she moves to sprint toward him, she spots a red-headed woman sitting next to him on a log. The Doctor faces the river, but the woman looks toward the trees and mountains, in Rose’s direction. Rose falters, struggling to tame the crushing disappointment at the sight of the Doctor with another woman in _their_ spot. 

Quickly hiding behind a tree, Rose peeks around the corner to study the Doctor and the woman. The familiarity of the Doctor’s hair in a state of perfected disarray, his narrow shoulders, and the long planes of his body, send a shiver of longing through Rose’s veins. She wants nothing more than run out and reunite with the Doctor, but a mixture of jealousy and dread hold her back. 

Instead, she listens to her instincts and strains to listen to the conversation. 

_“When you…When you appeared on the TARDIS in your wedding dress, I’d just said goodbye.”_ There’s a break in the conversation. _“I ran out of time to tell her how much I love her…”_

Rose claps her hand over her mouth and is unable to prevent tears from filling her eyes. Of course she’d known what he was going to say that day, but actually hearing the words now… Her heart races. 

_“Oh, God. Doctor.”_ The woman places her hand over the Doctor’s, and Rose focuses on the motion. _“I’m so sorry.”_

There’s a long silence as the two sit quietly together, and Rose considers leaving her hiding place behind the tree, stopping when the woman speaks up once more. _“There’s one thing I don’t understand, Doctor.”_

_“Hmmmm?”_

_“I thought you said this Bad Wolf changed Rose. Gave her telepathy and changed her somehow so she wouldn’t age. If Rose was this entity and changed these things about herself – if she had the power to do all of this, why wouldn’t she change things so you never got separated?”_

Rose’s eyes widen in shock. She’d never expected the Doctor to share such intimate details of their life together with someone else, _especially_ regarding her altered biology. The Doctor must have an enormous amount of trust in this woman to reveal such information. The thought sends a sudden stab of jealousy through Rose, but she quickly tamps it down, refocusing on their conversation. She refuses to be waylaid by such pettiness in this moment. 

_“I ask myself that every day, Donna,”_ the Doctor says, and Rose knows it’s time to reveal herself. 

Dropping her backpack next to a tree, Rose steps out into the open and knows the woman, Donna, has seen her when her eyes widen in shock. She can’t help but smile at Donna, reveling in the way the muscles in her cheeks stretch in a way they haven’t in years. Donna stiffens for a moment, cracks a tentative smile, and then turns to murmur something to the Doctor. 

His reaction is immediate, and he abruptly twists his body around, shifting his gaze from Donna to her. Rose’s smile widens further as his eyes widen and jaw drops open in shock. Spinning around as he jumps up, he chokes out a single word. “Rose.” 

Rose holds her breath as the Doctor closes his eyes and stands perfectly still as the TARDIS’s song, an assurance of her presence, washes over them both. When he finally opens them, she sees nothing but delighted shock and pure joy. A sob bubbles out of Rose, and she lunges forward, instincts drawing her to the Doctor as fast as she can. 

The Doctor moves at the same time, and in his rush to jump over the log, he trips and lands in a pile of limbs. Rose’s steps falter for just a moment, and she lets out a short bark of hysterical laughter. Distantly, she hears Donna yell at the Doctor. “Oh you Dumbo, get on your feet!” Springing up, the Doctor doesn’t even stop to brush himself off before he’s sprinting toward Rose. 

Seconds later, they collide with laughter and garbled words of disbelief, hands roaming over each other as if to convince themselves the other is _really there_. Rose wraps her arms around the Doctor, relishing in the feel of his body against hers. Her hands slide up to tangle momentarily in his fantastic hair before slipping down to his lapels. In one smooth movement, she pulls his face down to hers with his tie, and captures his lips with hers. 

Everything around them disappears, and Rose loses herself in everything that is the Doctor. He eagerly returns her kiss, and when a feather of his mind brushes against hers, Rose can’t help but take a ragged breath of air at the sensation. Reaching for his face, Rose returns the gesture, and while neither initiate a full telepathic connection, just a hint is enough to fill the void in Rose’s heart and mind that’s been empty for years. 

The Doctor and Rose stand wrapped up in each other for several long moments, reveling in the way they’re once again able embrace each other. As his hearts beats hammer beneath her ear, her eyes flutter closed in contentment. After a few seconds, the Doctor tenses, the movement is so faint Rose wonders if she’s imagined it, and he pulls away seconds later. When she frowns and opens her eyes, he grins while reaching up to cup her cheek in his hand. Rose nuzzles him, pressing closer when he speaks.

“Rose, there’s something I never got the chance to say to you,” he begins, looking earnestly into her eyes.

“Oh?” She smiles but is unable to keep a few tears from trailing down her cheeks. Certain she knows what he’s about to say, she waits in breathless anticipation.

The Doctor captures her tears and wipes them gently from her face. “On that terrible beach all those years ago, I wanted to tell you how much I love you. Then, now, and forever, Rose Tyler. No matter what. Even if… even if you don’t feel the same way anymore, my hearts belong to you. I’ve regretted not telling you every single day since then.”

Rose throws herself at the Doctor, and cups his face in her hands before kissing him firmly on the mouth. “Of course I still love you, you daft alien,” she says when she pulls back for air. “God, I’ve missed you _so much_ , Doctor.” Pulling the Doctor in for a hug, she melts into his embrace when he squeezes her back. 

A sniffle to the side reminds Rose of the Doctor’s red-headed companion, and without releasing the Doctor, she turns to Donna. The woman wipes tears off on the sleeve of her blouse and smiles at Rose. “So you _are_ Rose,” Donna says with a wobbly laugh, and Rose beams. 

“I am. And you are?” 

Donna stands and walks over to the Doctor and Rose, holding out a hand. “Donna Noble, at your service. I keep this space dumbo from getting into too much trouble.”

“Oi!” the Doctor protests, and Rose and Donna laugh. Rose instantly likes the woman, and despite just meeting, somehow knows they’ll get on well. 

“Good,” Rose replies, sending a cheeky grin at the Doctor. “He needs someone to keep him in line. He doesn’t always listen to his ship, even though she always knows what’s best.”

“Don’t I know it,” Donna agrees in delight, her smile widening at the Doctor’s apparent irritation, and after a moment, her gaze focuses on the Doctor. “I knew you’d find a way back, Rose.”

Rose laughs, and the Doctor pulls away slightly to ruffle his hair. “What?” he asks, voice high pitched and surprised. 

“It didn’t make sense that Rose would change her _entirely biology_ so she could live as long as you, however long that is, and not leave a way to get herself back to this universe,” Donna explains. 

“She has a point, Doctor,” Rose says.

“Speaking of, how _did_ you get back?” the Doctor asks, looking at the direction Rose came from as if he expects a horde of evil monsters to come rushing through the trees. 

“Oh, Donna’s right,” Rose says. “A little bit of Bad Wolf and a golden door only I could pass through, and here I am.” At disbelieving looks from both the Doctor and Donna, Rose launches into the story of how she came to be back on the TARDIS. It takes a while with the Doctor’s many questions, and by the time she finishes, they’re sitting on a blanket munching on snacks provided by the TARDIS. Rose leans into the Doctor’s side and sighs in content.

“So, the door’s gone?” Donna asks, looking at the direction Rose appeared from earlier. 

The smile on Rose’s face fades. “Yeah,” she answers quietly. “It is.”

“Rose, are you sure this is what you want?” the Doctor asks, his voice thick with doubt. 

Rose huffs in irritation. How does he still not get it? “ _Yes_ , Doctor, I’m sure. Either way… there’s no way back. ‘Sides... I told you back on that– that horrible day,” her face scrunches in pain with the memory of Canary Wharf, “I made my decision a long time ago. I’m never gonna leave you.” Craning her head, Rose looks up at the Doctor to make sure he acknowledges her words, and he nods, clenching his jaw in what she knows is guilt. 

Sighing, she pulls away and forces him to meet her gaze as she uses a finger to turn his face toward hers. “Doctor, look at me. It’s my decision. Mum knows about how I’ve changed, and she admitted my place is here with you. I’ll miss them, yeah, _of course_ I will, but you’re my family too. You’re worth it.” Rose pokes him in the chest. “Will you please at least try to look happy that I’m back?

The Doctor scowls and pulls Rose close, sighing into her hair. “I am happy. _Of course_ , I’m happy, Rose. I thought I’d never see you again, and yet… here you are. However impossible it is.”

“And don’t you forget it, Spaceman,” Donna announces, not-so-subtly reminding them of her presence. “You should’ve seen him, Rose. Moping about, going on about ‘Rose this’ and ‘Rose that.’ He’s lost without you.” She smirks but looks softly between Rose and the Doctor, her gaze lingering on the Doctor. “But you deserve to be happy, Doctor. More than anyone I know. Just…” At this her gaze hardens and she glares between them. “No shagging on the kitchen table!”

“Donna!” the Doctor yelps, and Rose hides her red face in the Doctor’s jacket. 

“I’m just saying,” Donna replies. 

“Annnnnnnnnd I think it’s time to head back, hmm?” the Doctor asks. “Aren’t you tired, Donna?” 

Rose laughs at Donna’s obvious indignation at the dismissal of her presence, but admits that she herself is ready to leave the Gallifrey room and starts starts to gather the items on the blanket. After her long day, she’s more than a bit knackered and could do with a shower, preferably with the Time Lord she’s missed for so long.

The Doctor follows Rose as she walks to where her backpack rests against a tree, only letting her hand out of his when she swings the pack on her back. “I still can’t believe you’re here,” he says quietly, and Rose squeezes his hand. 

“It feels like a dream,” Rose answers. “But a good dream. The best kind of dream.”


	4. Every day for the rest of my life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I decided my best life is with you a long time ago. I love you, Doctor, and I’ll tell you every day for the rest of my life if I have to."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Crazygirlne for telling me how to upload the banner to the beginning of this fic! Woo! It now shows the banner! 
> 
> This chapter, oh boy. It underwent extensive (but necessary) changes, and it would not be the final product it is now were it not for the help of my rather spectacular beta team. Haha. (I have a team, now.) So many thanks to Jeeno2, Crazygirlne, Tenscupcake, and Chiaroscuroverse for all your input and advice! ❤

The Doctor and Rose return to Donna and find the trail leading to the entrance of the Gallifrey room. As they chat about their combined travels from the last several years along the way, Donna falls increasingly quiet, letting the Doctor and Rose lead the conversation.

“So, you two,” Rose says after a while, looking between the Doctor and Donna. “When did you start travelling together?

A brief flash of pain crosses the Doctor’s face, but Donna interjects before the Doctor can speak. “Saved me from the worst mistake of my life, and he had a funny way of doing it. His ship zapped me up into the console room while I was walking down the aisle, and Spaceman over there got all offended when I kept calling him a Martian.”

“Because I’m _not_ a Martian!” the Doctor protests, and Rose laughs, patting the Doctor on the arm. 

“But I didn’t start travelling with him, then. Idiot I am said no, and now I’ve barely gotten to start since I finally found him again. Was hoping to avoid Chiswick for a while, but don’t want to be a third wheel. Mum’s gonna be insufferable, and Gramps…” She sighs and shakes her head. “ _Anyway_ ,” Donna blusters, swiftly changing the topic, “there’s nothing quite like giant, alien spiders eating your pillock of a fiance on your wedding day. Is it always like that when he meets new people?” 

Rose laughs at Donna’s question, but considers the other things Donna said as well. _Third wheel? Avoiding Chiswick?_ Does Donna think… Rose’s thoughts are cut off when the Doctor interrupts.

“Oi! I’ll have you know, the Racnoss was not involved when I met Rose.” He sniffs.

“Nah, was just a bunch of shop window dummies trying to take over the Earth,” Rose quips with a grin. “But don’t worry. I swung in on a chain and saved the day.” 

At this Donna snorts and shakes her head, the words “of course you did” barely audible under her breath.

The Doctor squeezes Rose’s hand and looks at her with a daft grin before bumping her shoulder with his. 

After a while, they exit the room, meandering down the corridor for a while until the Doctor turns to Rose in front of the galley. “You coming, Rose?” he asks in expectation, a yearning vulnerability written on his face. “To our room?”

“Um,” Rose looks quickly at Donna, “I’m gonna get a quick cuppa with Donna, first. I’ll meet you in our room in a mo’.” At the Doctor’s panicked expression, Rose pulls him into a hug and kisses him on the cheek. “I’m here, Doctor. I’m not going anywhere. I just wanted to talk to Donna about something.”

“Oh! Well, I’ll come with you, then. Could do with a nibble,” the Doctor says. 

Rose gently places a hand on his chest to stop him. “No, just– I’ll bring you something. I won’t be long, Doctor. Promise. I’ll make it worth the wait.” She winks at him and links her arm with Donna, who makes a face at her suggestive statement. 

As she and Donna walk into the galley, Rose looks over her shoulder and finds the Doctor staring after them. She smiles the tongue-touched smile she reserves just for him, and he brightens considerably before turning around and heading off in the opposite direction down the corridor. 

“What was that about?” Donna asks in confusion. 

“I just…” Rose begins, but pauses as she grabs the kettle and fills it with water. “Donna, are you planning to leave?”

“Oh.” Donna looks to the ground for a moment before sliding onto a bar-stool and fiddling with something on the counter. “I just thought… Maybe you wouldn’t want me travelling with you two.”

Rose turns to Donna in surprise. “What makes you think that?”

“Well,” Donna starts, finally meeting Rose’s gaze. “You only just returned. I just assumed… Well, I don’t want to get in the way. I’ll feel like I’m crashing the honeymoon.”

Rose’s cheeks warm slightly. “Donna, we absolutely want you to keep travelling with us. Just because I’m back doesn’t mean you’ll be forgotten.” She smiles. “The Doctor doesn’t ask just _anyone_ to travel with him, you know. And judging from what I overheard you two talking about in the Gallifrey room, it’s obvious he trusts you. And if the Doctor trusts you, I trust you.” 

Donna glances up at Rose with a hopeful expression. “Really? I just thought…” 

“No,” Rose states emphatically. “I really don’t want you to think that just because I’m here, you’re no longer welcome. I’d love you to stay, and I’m willing to bet the Doctor doesn’t want you to leave, either.” With a smirk, she adds, “And we’ll try to keep the ‘honeymoon’ stuff to the bedroom.” 

Relief floods Donna’s features, and she sighs. “Thank you. I’m not sure if I’m ready for life back on Earth yet.” She pauses a moment and shares a contemplative smile with Rose. “Life here on the TARDIS is good. Mad and unbelievable, but more than I ever dreamed it’d be. I can’t believe I said no the first time.” 

Rose listens as she busies herself with pouring water into mugs and finds a few snacks for the Doctor. “I know what you mean.”

“You’ll have to tell me the whole story about when you met the Doctor,” Donna says. “But not now. I think that Time Lord of yours wouldn’t appreciate me keeping you for long.” 

Rose laughs in agreement. “Too right,” she says. “Are you gonna be okay on your own?”

“Oh, please,” Donna waves her hand, “the TARDIS is good to me. I haven’t been up all that long today, so I’ll go read by the pool I found earlier. Go find the Doctor, Rose. I’ll be fine. More than fine.”

Rose moves to pick up the tray of tea, but Donna puts a hand on her arm. 

“Wait. Rose?” 

“Hmm?” 

Donna pulls Rose in for a hug and squeezes her tight. “I’m so happy you found a way back. You have _no_ idea. He needs you, Rose.”

Rose returns the hug and blinks back a few tears at Donna’s sincerity. “Thank you, Donna.” Releasing the woman, Rose grabs the tray and leaves the galley.

* * *

The Doctor paces his room – _their room_ – as he waits for Rose. He’s worried about why Rose wouldn’t let him accompany her to the galley, but he tries to tamp down his anxiety, instead focusing on the miracle of Rose’s return. 

She’s back. _Rose is back._

Perhaps the universe _can_ grant him one favor after a lifetime of losses. He grapples with the enormity of what’s happened, struggling with both the unyielding joy spreading through him and a relentless guilt that she’d left her family behind for _him_. 

But regardless of how he feels, she _is_ back, and now maybe they really can have their forever. 

A noise at the door pulls him from his thoughts, and he turns to find Rose standing in the doorway, smiling widely. She quickly places a tray filled with two cups of tea and a package of biscuits on his desk, and unable to resist another moment of separation, they both rush toward each other and meet in the middle of the room. He pulls her tight against him, sighing in relief once she’s in his arms again. “Rose,” he murmurs. “Everything okay with Donna?”

“Yeah, jus’ wanted to make sure Donna knows she’s still welcome to travel with us,” Rose explains. 

The Doctor frowns and pulls away slightly. “What do you mean?” 

“If you were traveling with someone, and they were suddenly reunited with a long lost love, wouldn’t you feel a bit like a third wheel? Like you might not be wanted anymore?”

“Oh,” he says, his forehead wrinkling in confusion. “She said that?”

Rose sighs and pats his tie down on his chest. “Yes, but I don’t think you heard her. I told her there’s no way we’re kicking her off the TARDIS.”

That’s his Rose, the Doctor thinks as he looks fondly down at the woman who’d so irrevocably changed his life and continues to do so. Always looking out for others, thinking about things that would never even have crossed his mind. 

“Quite right,” the Doctor says, and immediately regrets his word choice when Rose stiffens in his arms. “Errr, sorry. I’m so sorry, Rose.”

“For what?” she asks, but he thinks she knows exactly what he’s talking about.

“For not saying what I should have said, what I wanted to say, on that beach. It’s haunted me every day since then.”

“Well,” Rose says, looking up at him with a soft expression. “Now you’ve said it, so there’s no reason to dwell on it anymore.”

He hums noncommittally and feels Rose studying his face. 

“There’s something else, isn’t there?” she asks.

The Doctor sighs, cursing himself for forgetting how perceptive Rose is. He pulls her to the edge of their bed and sits down. Rose turns to him, curling one leg under the other and waiting for him to continue. Avoiding her gaze, he rests his elbows on his legs and looks down at the floor. “I don’t know if I’ll ever believe I’m worth the loss of your family,” he says quietly. 

He hears Rose make a little noise of discontentment before she clears her throat, drawing his attention to her. “Doctor,” she says, slowly and with great emphasis. “You just have to trust me when I tell you that I’ve come to terms with it. ‘Everyone leaves home in the end.’” She smiles, and he quirks a grin in return as he remembers her words from long ago on a doomed rock destined for a black hole. “I decided my best life is with you a long time ago. I love you, Doctor, and I’ll tell you every day for the rest of my life if I have to. And besides, my family is alive and well, and now they’ll always be, to me.”

The Doctor clenches his jaw until he feels Rose’s fingers trail gently from his sideburns to his chin. Responding to her touch, he leans toward her hand and closes his eyes as her thumb brushes gently over his bottom lip, and finally, with a harsh exhale, he allows his body to relax, dropping his shoulders as he sits up. Beside him, Rose shifts, and suddenly he’s met with a face full of Rose’s delightful curves as she straddles his lap. His eyes fly open just as she presses her lips to his, and for a while, he loses himself in the sensation of their lips moving languidly together. 

Her hands find his face, thumbs brushing against his temples, and suddenly she’s there at the edge of his mind, once again rendering him speechless with her expression of love for him, the utter certainty in her choice, and joy in her return. There’s a hint of hesitation, though, cautious restraint to avoid pursuing his mind further until she knows he’s willing to reciprocate. The Doctor groans, and shifts back on the bed, placing his hands on her waist and pulling her closer against him. He opens his mind fully, answering her unasked question by allowing her inside, while simultaneously accepting an identical invitation into Rose’s mind. 

To be joined with her again like this is…

“ _Brilliant_ ,” Rose breathes as she increases the intensity of their kiss. Her tongue delves further into his mouth, her nose scrunches against his cheek, and her fingers fall from his face to his tie as she begins to undo the knot. Successful in her mission, Rose pulls away from his face with a small pop, smirking when he makes a squeaky noise of protest and tries to follow her lips. She maintains enough skin contact for their connection, and he senses the simmering arousal and need coursing through her body.

Already, he’s drunk on everything _Rose_ , and after being separated for too long, he wonders if he’ll ever be able to get enough of her again. 

“When I was in the other universe,” Rose says breathlessly, “my biggest regret was that we never completed our bond.” 

Too busy admiring Rose’s flushed skin, it takes a moment for Rose’s words to register with the Doctor. The bond? Hope springs to his mind, and his eyes fly to Rose’s in surprise. 

“‘S just…” She continues. “We kept putting it off, before, because you were concerned about everything else going on with me, the changes and telepathy. And now that I’m back, d’you think we could do it now?”

The Doctor gapes at Rose. “But are you sure? You only just returned, and what if you decide…”

Rose sighs. “How many times do I have to tell you I’ve made my choice? I don’t want to waste another minute of this second chance. Being away from you… _God_ , I never want to experience that again. I craved this part of our relationship so much, I always felt like something was missing.” She taps her head, and the Doctor feels a flicker of doubt in her mind. “I want this with you, Doctor, but… only if you want, that is.”

“Oh, I do,” he replies, “I just thought maybe you’d changed your mind. Moved on…” Rose lets him feel her unadulterated exasperation through their link, and he hurries to move past that thought. “But you never did, did you?”

“Nope,” Rose answers, staring at him in defiance. 

Unable to resist, the Doctor surges up and crushes his mouth to hers. He lays back on the bed, pulling her with him, and they distract themselves for several minutes as their hands roam freely over each other. He works his hands under her top, feeling her burning skin, and he strokes his fingers higher and higher until his thumbs brush against the underside of her breasts through her bra. Rose’s heart hammers against him, and in response to his touch, she gently grinds her hips down against his pelvis, moaning into his mouth when she feels him hard against her. 

Through the haze of lust and arousal, the Doctor struggles to come to his senses before he loses the ability to hold back. “Rose,” he pants against her mouth, “Rose… The bond?”

Rose collapses against him and giggles, the action causing her to shift against him in very pleasant ways that almost – _almost_ – causes him to convince her to complete the bond later. But no. Their physical reunion will be far more meaningful with a full bond, and the thought sends a thrill of excitement through him. 

“It’s that good, huh?” Rose asks with a tongue-touched smile, and much to the Doctor’s dismay, rolls off of him and onto her side, thankfully maintaining contact by holding his hand. 

“Oh, Rose Tyler, you have no idea.” The Doctor smirks, and eyes Rose’s flushed and thoroughly snogged appearance with appreciation. 

“Let’s get on with it, then, yeah? I’m tired of waiting,” Rose says, “And I’d really like you inside of me sooner rather than later.” 

The Doctor’s jaw drops, and he feels himself grow harder at Rose’s bold words. Rose gently releases his hand to hop off the bed, and he flinches at the loss of her mind from his. 

“Sorry, jus’ figure it’ll be more comfortable if I’m not wearing this.” Rose gestures down her body at her Torchwood uniform. 

Ah. They quickly undress until they’re standing before each other in their undergarments, and the Doctor gazes down at Rose’s body in admiration. She’s trim and fit, her muscles more defined than he remembers, no doubt a product of her job with Torchwood in the other universe. His fingers twitch with the desire to touch her, and he pulls her to him, placing a soft kiss on her lips. Their mental connection instantly flares to life again, and they’re inside each other’s minds without the usual formalities. 

“So how does it work?” Rose asks as she climbs on to the bed. She pulls his hand, prompting him to follow. They lie down, facing each other side-by-side. The Doctor runs his fingers over Rose’s skin, and he revels in the knowledge that he’s driving her absolutely barmy with want. 

“It’s not too difficult,” he explains. “I’ll just take down the barriers I built between us the first time we connected telepathically, and that will allow us to bind our minds together. Right now, with the barrier, I’m unable to seek out the core of your mind and the threads of your soul that make up the essence of who you are.”

Rose bites her lip, her forehead wrinkling as she thinks. “How will I know how to find that in you?”

“You’ll know what to do, but if you need help, just follow my lead.” the Doctor says, tracing his finger along the edge of her breast, grinning at the way her breath quickens and eyes darken with desire. “After the bond is complete, we’ll be able to communicate telepathically without touch. Of course, you’ll be able to erect temporary barriers to allow yourself some privacy.”

“So this bond is like marrying you telepathically?” Rose asks. 

The Doctor knows they’d discussed this one before, but he explains again. “Well, I suppose to you humans it’s the equivalent of that. There are various types of bonds for a Time Lord, but this one is the most intimate and encompassing. It’s truly sharing yourself, all of yourself, with another being, and yes, I suppose in the way of my people, it’s analogous to human marriage.”

“I’ll be your wife?” Rose asks with a wide, teasing smile.

For the first time, the Doctor realizes how very much he wants to call Rose his wife. “You’ll be my wife,” he says with an answering smile. The word sounds foreign on his tongue – foreign, but right – and it spurs him into action. “Ready?”


	5. Just follow my lead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Just follow my lead_ , the Doctor prompts again, and without further hesitation, he carefully moves deeper into Rose’s mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here it is! The chapter everyone has been waiting for. ;) (And thus, the chapter that earns the rating, FYI.)
> 
> I fought a lot with this chapter. A LOT. Writing smut is never easy, and then when you add the telepathic/telepathic bonding component to it... Yowza. I feel like I need to leave that to the pros. But that being said, I hope you like it and that it makes up for the annoying cliffy I left you guys at the last chapter. ;)
> 
> This chapter would not exist without the help of my beta babes: Jeeno2, Tenscupcake, and Crazygirlne. Bless you all for helping me turn this disaster of a draft into an actual chapter.

“Ready?” the Doctor asks. 

Rose nods, and he cups his face gently in her hands, sighing happily when hers cover his and her thumbs brush against his skin. So long has he been without her presence, and now such an innocuous touch sends shivers of longing down his spine. Without hesitation, he deepens their connection and easily finds the barriers he’d erected years ago to prevent the bond from forming. Rose waits, lingering on the edges of his mind, and the second the barriers dissipate, they both gasp. 

The change is instantaneous. The essence of her mind beckons him, calls out to his, and he’s helpless to resist surging forward. The sensation of their minds coming together so completely like this, as lovers and partners, is unlike anything the Doctor has ever experienced as a telepathic being, and feeling Rose’s mind so thoroughly entwined with his is… staggering. 

Beneath his fingers, Rose shudders, and the Doctor opens his eyes in concern, only to find tears streaming down her cheeks. 

_Everything okay?_ he asks through their connection.

_More than_ , Rose answers, and he knows it was a silly question to ask, as he can feel how very okay she is. 

_Just follow my lead_ , the Doctor prompts again, and without further hesitation, he carefully moves deeper into Rose’s mind. Eventually, he encounters the golden threads making up the essence of Rose’s soul, and as soon as he touches them, they surge forward and begin to entwine themselves around his. He begins to gently coax them into action, binding and twisting his own dark blue tendrils with her golden ones, and within moments, Rose joins in and copies his actions. Together they work, bonding themselves to each other with ease, fulfilling a natural progression of their relationship that was always meant to be. At one point, the Doctor almost loses his focus when he feels the TARDIS’s presence beside them. But of course she’s there, both a part of and separate from their bond, since she herself is bonded to both of them in uniquely different ways. 

Finally, once the joining of their minds is complete, the Doctor prepares to reveal the final step of the bond by sharing the secret he guards most deeply in his mind – his name. His true name, the one that burns in the stars of the Medusa Cascade. He shares it with Rose, his partner and... _wife_ , and from now on when she calls out to him in her mind, their bond will expand and flare to life with unwavering intensity. 

It’s what sets this bond apart from all other Gallifreyan bonds. His true name seared within the heart, mind, and soul of his bond mate allows them to find each other, to call out to each other, no matter where they are in the multiverse. It becomes as much of a part of her as it is a part of him. For a long time, for most of his long life, the Doctor thought he’d never share it with anyone again, but now his name lives within Rose, and their minds are connected, bonded in love and commitment to each other, forever.

For the briefest moment, he wavers in regret, realizing just how much of their heartache might have been spared had they only bonded sooner; they would have been able to call out to each other across the Void and use the TARDIS, and her bonds with both of them, as a vessel to reunite them. Rose quickly pulls him from these dark thoughts by firmly speaking his name, then adding words of comfort. _Doctor, it happened, but now I’m back, and we’re together and bonded. Let’s leave the past in the past._ As she says it, the Doctor feels Rose’s uncontainable delight and joy regarding the completion of their bond.

Upon hearing his name spoken with such confidence in his mind by Rose, arousal flares through the Doctor so strong, he almost loses himself in the moment. Opening his eyes, he finds Rose staring at him, her eyes almost black with want and desire. 

“Hello,” she says and surges forward to kiss him. 

This kiss is different than any other they’ve ever shared. It’s their first with a full bond, and the Doctor realizes how much he’s been missing. He feels _everything_ from Rose: her unending desire, the frantic need that sizzles through her blood, the rush of wetness in her core, and more than that, the vastness of her love for him.

It’s still mystifies him that someone can love him as much as Rose does. 

“Doctor,” Rose demands, allowing him to sense a tickle of irritation, then promptly distracts him with a vivid example of what sort of activities she’d like to move onto, and he acquiesces, leaving his doubts behind him once more.

They pull apart from each other for a brief moment to rid themselves of their undergarments, and when she presses herself against him, the feeling of her naked skin sets him on fire. He has a feeling he won’t last long during their first time back together. 

“Stop thinking,” Rose pants as she flips him on his back and straddles him, the heat of her core just below where he most wants her touch. She reaches down and takes him firmly in hand, causing him to shout out in surprise. Rose shifts her hips forward slightly to run his length through her folds and throws her head back at the sensation. He thrusts up a few times, seeking more friction, and finally Rose rises up and then sinks down, surrounding him with her heat. She calls his name in her mind, and the Doctor responds intuitively, increasing the pace of his thrusts while letting his mind tangle with hers.

Their bodies move together, naturally shifting from one position to another until she’s splayed out below him, golden hair surrounding her head like a halo, and breasts bouncing with the movement. Her legs wrap around his bum, and the Doctor stares down, watching himself thrust into Rose again and again. His thumb finds that highly sensitive spot on Rose, and he rubs tight circles as he feels her climb higher and higher toward the peak. 

Once more Rose calls out his name, and the bond between them burns hot and bright. It’s enough to send them both toppling over the edge, and the Doctor comes to the conclusion that no pleasure in the universe will ever equal what he experiences with Rose. Their mutual climax is long, exquisite, and so powerful the Doctor thinks he might not recover for a week. 

When the last tremors pass through both of them, the Doctor collapses on top of Rose, their combined heat creating a somewhat uncomfortable barrier between them. Remembering how Rose likes to remain connected after joining together, however, he stays there, content in her embrace. 

“I love you,” he whispers into her neck, and she shivers. The surge of love she sends back through their bond causes him to thrust gently back into Rose, and when she shifts slightly, they’re both surprised when he begins to harden again inside her.

“Oh!” Rose says, voice laced with amusement.

“Told you I’m impressive,” the Doctor growls.

* * *

Laughing at the Doctor, Rose pushes herself up slightly and places soft kisses along the Doctor’s collarbone before sucking on his neck, laving her tongue around the spot to ensure her claim on him is evident.

He chuckles above her, reminding Rose he already belongs to her, and she laughs again. Arousal simmers gently beneath her skin, and she can’t tell if it’s her own or the Doctor’s. Realizing it doesn’t matter, Rose gives into the urge and lifts her hips against his, swiveling them in a small motion, even though it’s difficult while he’s lying on top of her. 

It’s a strange sensation, feeling every part of the Doctor in her mind, but it’s something she welcomes gladly. After he held himself back from her for so long, she cherishes the way he’s allowing his barriers to fall, accepting everything she offers him. 

The heat between them builds more gradually this time, the frantic need less urgent, and it allows them to spend time relearning each other’s bodies. Eventually the Doctor rolls off her, and she’s able to devote more attention to tracing her fingers along the muscular planes of his chest, teasing her fingers up and down his length, and kissing dips and curves of his neck and collarbones. Rose feels every sensation that she elicits from the Doctor, and by the time she reaches his prominent hips, she’s slick with need. 

Sensing her desire, but unable to reach her most sensitive areas, the Doctor stokes the arousal in her mind, causing her to cry out in surprise. Rose quickly moves to straddle him, biting her lip in relief when he slides smoothly inside her. Joined in this way, it’s somehow instinctive to repeat his name telepathically, and she marvels at how quickly he responds. If it’s possible, he swells slightly inside her, and Rose falls forward, her hands gripping his chest for balance. The Doctor leans up and captures the peak of a breast in his mouth, and the blend of sensations between them increases until Rose breaks, closing her eyes as wave after wave of intense pleasure rolls through them both. 

Finally spent and satisfied beyond belief, Rose collapses beside the Doctor. They’re not touching anymore, and though they know they’ll be able to maintain their connection while separated, it’s more comforting to experience it directly.

Lifting her head up and laying it on her arm, unable to move it further due to the heavy exhaustion permeating her body following their physically and mentally strenuous activities, Rose stares at the Doctor. 

“I love you,” she says, repeating his earlier sentiment. 

The Doctor flops to his side and grins lazily at her. 

“Mmmm,” he giggles, and Rose rolls her eyes. Contentment and happiness roll of both of them in waves, and Rose is still in awe of what they’ve just done. A thought crosses her mind, and she voices her question in the quiet room. 

“Did the TARDIS… I thought I felt the TARDIS when we were creating the bond,” Rose says. “Did she help?”

“She’s bonded to both you and me, Rose. It’s only natural she’s part of our bond. My people had many different kinds of bonds, and the bond between a Time Lord and his TARDIS was important to properly pilot the ship. My TARDIS is a bit different than most, though. Bloody interfering ship, she is.”

“Yeah, but without her meddling, I wouldn’t be here right now,” Rose points out, sending waves of gratitude to the ship. 

“Quite–” the Doctor starts.

“Don’t say it,” Rose interrupts, but lets him feel her amusement through their bond. 

“Ah, yes. Ahem. Well, good point. I suppose her meddling isn’t _all_ bad,” the Doctor admits, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck, and the lights in the room flicker ominously. Rose giggles. 

“‘S alright, I won’t have it any other way. I love her meddling.” Rose rolls into the Doctor with another round of giggles when the lights flicker once more, this time in bright, merry colors. 

For the next several minutes, Rose rests quietly against the Doctor, her heart almost exploding with happiness at the sound of his hearts beating strongly against her ear. The steady thrum has always soothed her, comforted her after (or during) stressful moments, and she’d missed it dearly during their time apart. 

“I missed yours, too,” the Doctor admits out loud after sensing her thoughts. “Your compassion, your smile, the way you teased me with your tongue and pressed your body against mine, knowing you’d get whatever you wanted… But I think most of all, I missed holding your hand.” 

“Well,” Rose says, drawing out the word as she reaches for his hand and threads their fingers together. “It’s back where it belongs.”

Despite her reluctance to move, Rose shifts after a while, grimacing at the uncomfortable sensation of dried sweat, sex, and a day’s worth of traveling covering her body. “Could do with a shower,” she suggests to the Doctor, moaning when he snuggles closer to her body. “You’re invited,” she adds with a grin and a suggestive bite of her lower lip. 

“You’re gonna have to try harder than–” the Doctor starts, stopping suddenly when Rose sends him various ideas for things they could do during her shower. Fun and pleasurable things. “Oh, alright, you win,” he sighs loudly and lets her feel how very disappointed he is with himself for giving in so quickly. 

Oh, this telepathic bond might have some very delightful perks. Rose grins and reluctantly moves to get out of bed. 

“Rose, wait.” The Doctor stops her with his hand on hers, and he sits up to face her. With a gentleness that makes her feel like the most precious thing in all the universe, the Doctor cups her face and presses a soft kiss to her lips. “I’m so glad you’re home,” he says, his voice thick with emotion. 

“Me too,” she says. “Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just one small epilogue to go to wrap up this story! I do have at least one plan for another fic in this verse. It's not really related to the Gallifrey Room, but I'd like to write it in connection to this little universe I've created with the Doctor, Rose, and Donna. So stay tuned!!


	6. Into Time and Space

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning, Donna leans against the entrance to the galley, smiling softly as she watches the occupants inside tend to their morning activities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND WE'VE REACHED THE END!! Thank you to all who have read and said such lovely things about this story. I hope you enjoy the last chapter. I completely rewrote it today, and it's NOTHING like the first take. That being said, I think it's a much more fitting end to this story. 
> 
> Once again, Happy Birthday, Michaela!! I'm so happy you've enjoyed this!!
> 
> Thank you to Jeeno2 for the beta and to Crazygirlne for some help with some phrasing. <3

The next morning, Donna leans against the entrance to the galley, smiling softly as she watches the occupants inside tend to their morning activities. 

The Doctor and Rose stand side by side at the counter with no space between them, almost as though they’re glued together at the hip. Both dressed in fluffy dressing gowns with riotous hair in varying degrees of disarray, there’s absolutely no question as to what they got up to in the privacy of their bedroom last night. 

Donna grimaces at the mental image but nevertheless, continues to watch the pair, fascinated by the way they move together. The contents of whatever the Doctor is stirring up on the stove sizzle and pop, and to his left, Rose prepares the kettle and tea. Despite all the touching and invasion of personal space that would drive her absolutely _barmy_ , their actions are smooth and coordinated, seamless in every way. It’s funny, she realizes to herself, but now she truly understands how _empty_ the Doctor has been without the woman standing beside him. Only the return of Rose and watching them interact together has shown her how much of the Doctor’s heart and soul had been missing.

Tears spring to her eyes when they turn to each other and kiss deeply, but when Rose tangles her fingers in the Doctor’s hair and he groans loudly in response, Donna interrupts before they decide to press their bodies together in more… intimate ways. 

Clearing her throat, she calls out, “Oi, you two!” Donna smirks when they jump apart like guilty teenagers, turning to her with flushed faces and sheepish expressions. Shifting her gaze pointedly to the table, she continues, “What did I say about this kind of behaviour in the galley?”

“We– We didn’t– Donna!” the Doctor blusters, while Rose bends over laughing beside him. “We’re making breakfast!” He waves his spatula at the sizzling pan. 

“With a tasty appetiser, apparently,” Donna says before pushing away from the door and joining the Doctor and Rose at the counter. “Nice legs,” she adds, smirking at the Doctor in his dressing gown. 

“Thank you,” the Doctor answers and looks to Rose with a grin. “I’ve been told they’re very manly and hairy.”

“Oh God.” Donna rolls her eyes and steps over to her espresso machine. “I’m gonna need to caffeinate before I hear any more of that.” Patting Rose on the shoulder, she continues. “Honestly, Rose, how do you put up with that ego?”

Rose laughs and answers Donna, eyes sparkling in amusement. “Has he told you about the time he got jealous of a cat I was petting?”

“Oi,” the Doctor grumbles as Donna bursts into laughter. 

“Oh, don’t get your knickers in a twist, Doctor. We still love you,” Donna replies, earning a pouty sulk from the Doctor as he moves the frying pan and plates to the table. 

A few minutes later, the three occupants of the TARDIS sit down for their first breakfast together. 

“So, what’s on the agenda for today?” Donna asks the Doctor and Rose, fully planning to hole up inside the ship for at least a few more days while they get _reacquainted._ “Shall I have the TARDIS set up a mini fridge and a telly in my room while you two… canoodle… or do whatever weird alien s–”

“Donna,” the Doctor interrupts with an exaggerated sigh. “Actually, I was thinking Rose might want to get back out in the universe. To hit the open road! To make like cowboys and ride! Make like monkeys and swing?” He pauses and scrunches his forehead in thought. “Nah. Scratch that. Allons-y! Off we go into Time–” Turning to Rose, he waits in expectant excitement.

“And Space!” Rose cries, pumping the air with her fist. 

“Oh my God,” Donna says, her heart numbing with the grim realization of someone who didn’t quite understand what, exactly, she’d signed up for. “There’re _two_ of you!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said in the last chapter, this isn't the end of this verse. I have at least one more story in mind. ;)

**Author's Note:**

> Find me at goingtothetardis.tumblr.com!


End file.
